On our map. We haven't walked through the door yet — here's why it's on the list.
Italian espresso bar opened on Avenue de Monkland in 2012 by Gianni Battista, who spent more than a decade as a barista in Italy at the original Caffe de Mercanti, whose name the Montreal shop borrows. The NDG café's success led, in 2015, to a second location in Old Montreal, run with Frank Miozzi — a separate business from the Monkland shop.
On Monkland, the draw is the espresso, considered among the most faithful to Italian style in the city, served alongside cannoli and pistachio croissants, with a small menu of sandwiches and gelato.
Café de' Mercanti is on the Regulars map — spotted, not yet visited. Our guides are written on foot, door by door, and no one pays to appear: when we walk through the door, this note will become a portrait. No points. No coupons. Standing is earned.